


The Universal Child

by pleasehelpmeimstuckinthefandoms



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anger, Crossover, Cunnilingus, F/M, Forbidden Love, Hate Sex, His throne is about to be molded to my ass cheeks., I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Love, Love/Hate, Metahumans, Multiverse, Mutant Reader, Mutants, Oral Sex, Past Relationship(s), Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Rough Sex, Satan better get his ass ready, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Sex, Slow Build, Smut, Speed Force, Team Flash, The Avengers - Freeform, This marks my bungee jump straight into Hell, Trust Issues, Vaginal Sex, Wall Sex, Why Did I Write This?, god help me, marvel/dc crossover - Freeform, speedsters, yeet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-03-17 20:05:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pleasehelpmeimstuckinthefandoms/pseuds/pleasehelpmeimstuckinthefandoms
Summary: Bolt desperately wanted to meet her father. . . but she accidentally traveled to the wrong universe, so she did the first thing that she was taught if she was in a strange place. . .find her mother by any means necessary but it was proved difficult when she’s captured the attention of Team Flash.





	1. Bolt of Lightning

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Marvel or DC (especially The Flash 2014 and well, all the Marvel movies and characters).

The young teenage girl looked around the high buildings, chestnut brown hair flowing down her back in a thick curtain as she slowly crouched down, watching the world below her as she perched herself on one of the tallest buildings she could find. 

Reaching underneath her hair, she pressed the communicator nestled in her ear, not recognizing the buildings of the city she found herself in. “Um, HQ, this is Bolt, requesting assistance. I think I went a little too far this time. Over?” Only static met her request. Her heart thundered in her chest when she was met with no response, a growing knot of anxiety tightened itself in the pit of her belly. “HQ, this is Bolt, ID number: _035576/B_ , requesting  _immediate_ assistance. Code Dimension, I repeat, Code Dimension, over!” She demanded with more force. Static. “Shit!” Bolt cursed, ripping her hand away from the comm as she stood and her black bodysuit straightened out; the purple outline now clearly visible.

Bolt growled, sweeping her hair back with both hands in frustration as she bit her lip painfully in thought.

The purple piping that lined her suit seemed to slightly crackle with electricity from the inside as she scuffed the heel of her boot against the floor of the roof. “Okay, need to find a way out of this place and find Mum.” Bolt mused to herself before her attention was focused to the commotion below.

(..)

A stocky, suspicious man walked along the street with a massive bag that was filled to the brim with what seemed to be stolen goods, his eyes glowing red as people ran from him, afraid.

From Bolt’s observations, he was seemingly on the verge of turning into something extremely dangerous-  _right_ before his body began to change as she had earlier predicted, his skin forming into rock, lava seeping through the cracks as he slowly became larger and larger until he was some kind of hulking rock-beast. “ _Okay,_  new plan. Sort out the The Thing 2.0 and  _then_ go find Mum.” 

Sighing, she bent her knees- about to make her move when a streak of yellow lightning trailing behind a blur of red came into her view. “I think it’s time for you to cool down there, Hulk.” His modulated voice was cocky.

“Seriously?” Bolt asked herself, a deadpan expression taking over her features at the new guys terrible attempt at puns. “How he managed to fit two puns in one sentence, I will never know.” Bolt slowly made her way to a smaller building to hear what the obvious villain and hero were conversing about.

 _“FLASH!”_ Rock Boy snarled.

“You don’t have to do this. We can help you.” The Flash implored, genuinely not wanting to harm the man.

“I don’t want your help!” Growled the overgrown pebble.

The Flash sighed, “then I’m sorry for this.” 

The only problem was that while the Flash was talking, distracted. His opponent had imprisoned his feet in the warped ground without his notice so when he tried to move- the shackles that crawled up his shins were a rude awakening.

“What the-?” The Flash’s voice had turned normal as his concentration focused to the problem with his confined legs.

“Without your speed you can’t do shit. Now it’s my turn.” The beast roared, his eyes flaming - _literally-_ before he lifted his arms above his head, concentrating his metahuman ability to take form between his stony palms- taking the shape of a massive glowing boulder of magma.

The Flash’s eyes widened behind the mask as he panicked, attempting to phase through the earth that held him hostage with no avail.

“A bit too easy, don’t you think? Maybe you need to spend a few more hours in your training facility, assuming you train. Otherwise you’re kinda the worst hero I’ve ever seen.” A young, teasing voice spoke from the building just above them.

Both meta-humans turned to see Bolt, her long hair tumbling to her hips in a thick, straight curtain with piercing blue eyes and her full, shapely lips upturned in a smirk.

“What are you doing up there?! Get away from here!” The Flash yelled, worried for the young woman’s safety.

“Oh, please. Like that pile of pebbles can punt that all the way over here.” Bolt waved her hand cockily. “Anyway, I need a workout before I go home. . this should be fun.” She grinned mischievously. 

“Are you making fun of me, you little shit?!” The meta-human roared, now rounding on her.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“What the hell are you doing?! Just get out of here!” The Flash roared at her but Bolt was more or less ignoring him.

“C’mon, rock-boy. Let’s see what you got.” Bolt’s eyes widened in excitement as she bent her knees, straight white teeth on display as she smiled widely; her fingers moving restlessly against the air.

“You’ll wish you had never said that!” 

“I doubt it.” Her oceanic eyes slowly crackled with purple electricity and the piping of her suit glowed as the rock-man roared in exertion, flinging the glowing rock of lava toward her.

 _“NO!”_  The Flash bellowed, his heart thumping in his chest, worried for the peculiar girl whose grin only widened at the sight of the large blazing piece of earth hurtling toward her.

It was almost too fast for even the Scarlet Speedster to follow.

One of her hands pressed to the floor of the roof as one of her bent legs straightened out while her other hand lifted; palm up to the sky as purple electricity erupted from her body just as the boulder flew over her. 

Concentrating, the lightning pooled in her upturned hand before it shot out like a beam from her palm and smashed into the bottom of the massive projectile, completely decimating it mid-flight before she disappeared from view in a flash of purple and dust, her laugh echoing across the buildings as the transformed metahuman whirled around, wildly searching for Bolt.

With flashes of amethyst lightning, the lava-wielding metahuman was thrown around like a rag-doll, pieces of his glowing, brimstone armor breaking apart with Bolt’s reinforced blows. Residual electricity sparking around the borders of his broken body armor as his true self started to show underneath.

 _“Oh, I get it now! You use your power to create a thick barrier between outside threats and your real body. Like an exoskeleton- an outer shell we have to get through to get to you. Challenge accepted!”_  Bolt’s energetic voice bounced off the high-rise buildings, inflaming her opponent as his damaged armor glowed with imbued power.

“Show me what you got, you little bitch!” He spat, his hands started to steam as he searched wildly for her, flinging the conjured lava in the directions of her echoing voice. “Too scared to come at me face to face?!” He taunted, his breaths coming out as labored growls.

“ _SURPRISE!_ ” Her voice sounded loudly before there was a streak of violet from the side and Bolt’s electrically charged fist smashed into his glowing face, the entire bedrock exoskeleton crackling with her unique lightning before it crumbled apart into dust violently as the man underneath fell to the ground, unconscious and defeated. 

Bolt stood over him, unharmed and frankly- unimpressed. “Man, you were all talk,” she pouted, “talk about lackluster.” A loud crack stole her attention from the unconscious thief and she turned to see the Flash finally free. “Oh, hey.” She waved lamely.

“Who are you?!” He demanded, stomping toward her, his own eyes crackling orange. 

“Sorry, that’s for me to know and for you to never find out.” With a two fingered salute, Bolt winked before she zipped away with a trail of violet lightning.

 _“Barry! Go get her!”_  Iris screeched in the comm, temporarily deafening him before he shook his head and followed the young speedster in a blur of red and a crack of yellow lightning.

She was fast, Barry had to give her that.

He was following Cisco’s instructions on where she was heading,  _“damn, she’s fast! The satellite can hardly track her movements!”_  The dimension manipulator complained.

“Is there anyway I can catch up to her?” Barry asked, weaving through the streets and alleys of Central City.

 _“It looks like she’s inexperienced in the city. She’s run through the same streets a few times. She doesn’t know where to go.”_  Caitlin’s voice sounded through the receiver in his suit.

“So all I need to do is corner her somewhere where she won’t be able to get away.” Barry surmised, running down a street, congested with traffic- skillfully snaking between the cars.

There was silence on the other end until- _“I’ll get one of the meta cells open!”_  Cisco yelled as Caitlin took the helm, guiding Barry.

 _“If you take the next left, she’ll move to the right- running the route here, then you can manipulate her movements.”_  Caitlin suggested as Barry took her advice.

Zipping through the street, he turned left harshly and with a burst of all his speed, he cut across Bolt’s path who skidded to a halt for a split second before taking the path toward Star Labs. “Cisco, you got the cell open?” Barry followed her, throwing bolts of his lightning toward Bolt when she tried to deviate from the route.

 _“It’s good to go, Bar.”_ Cisco chimed through the receiver as Star Labs came into view. 

“Get ready, guys!” Bolt sped into Star Labs with Barry hot on her heels, running her to the holding cells. Bolt realized what they were about to do so she quickly turned but stopped when she saw her pursuer standing in front of her. “There’s nowhere to run, kid.”

“There’s always somewhere to run, it’s just a matter of if your willing to do what it takes.” Bolt’s tone turned serious, eyes hard and unforgiving, “and I’m more than willing to take you out and be on my way home.” The ferocity in her eyes, the hard edge to her voice, the way her lithe body tensed; ready to attack.

“I’m sorry, but right now you need to cooperate with us.”

“No, I’m not going to be holed up in some cell like a prisoner when I’ve done nothing wrong! I saved you from that Brimstone Beast!”

 _“Damn, that’s a good name!_ ” Cisco’s voice filtered through the receiver but Barry ignored him.

“We’ve had people come into our lives, save us from meta’s we can’t beat, gain our trust and then they turn out to be the enemies we’ve been fighting all along.” Barry said, looking down at the young girl between him and the cell.

Azure eyes flicked from the red-clad speedster to the group of people on guard behind him- blocking the exit. “You claim you want me to cooperate but you bring reinforcements?” She growled, knees tensing as she glared at the newcomers who stiffened.

“Hey, hey!” Barry interjected, his arms raised on either side of him slightly as if to shield them. “We’re not going to hurt you, these guys won’t either. They’re my team, they won’t fight you without cause.”

“All I want is to go home.” Bolt growled, glaring at the older speedster as her hands clenched into strong fists.

“I understand that, but right now, please just cooperate with us and I promise that we’ll help you get home.” Barry reasoned, eyes pleading.

Bolt’s jaw clenched as she glared at the speedster before her, shaking her head. “I don’t believe you.” She ground out.

Barry sighed, “then I’m sorry for this.” Sparking up, Barry’s orange lightning crackled around him as he got into position as Bolt kept to her normal posture but the amethyst electricity that burst from her was dangerous, powerful as her eyes sparked with that same electricity.

“Give it all you got, Spandex- cuz I ain’t gonna hold back.”

In a flurry of movements, violet and red blurs clashed.

A fight between two speedsters and only one would win.

(..)

“We’ll find her.” A man spoke quietly, voice hard- unyielding. Unwilling to give up hope. “Don’t lose hope.”

“It isn’t hope I’m losing, it’s time.” A woman growled, fists tightening around the protective steel fence of the balcony, her grip threatening to bend it like play-doh. “I don’t care how many worlds I have to rip apart, how many armies I have to defeat or how many people I have to kill- I will find her. . . before. .” Her voice cracked with unshed tears.

“Hey,” his voice sturdied, one hand on her trembling shoulder, “you’ll find her before that’ll happen. She knows the dangers.”

A sigh, a head upturned to the sky- E/C eyes staring at the stars, “I just hope she’s alright.” 


	2. Who is She?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Bolt's supposed quick stay in Central City takes a turn for the worst, she's now held in Team Flash's holding cells trying to devise a plan to get home while Barry and Co. try to find out who this new speedster really is.

"Who is she?!" Throwing down the white marker in frustration, Cisco turned away from the board as if it was offending him with its very inanimate presence.

"Her blood, skin and saliva tests- even her hair samples and retinal scans have all come back negative for any relation in Central City and we had Felicity scouring her own satellite for a match in Starling City and there was even some anonymous computer genius from Gotham City that Cisco found looking into it. All results have come back negative for us to pinpoint who her mother could be." Caitlin explained quietly as she scrolled through more files.

"And there was nothing from the Star Labs satellites from Earth 2?" Barry asked Harry who shook his head.

"No match." Harry answered easily.

"So, she's basically a shadow?" Ralph asked from his place lounging on a swivel chair, ankles crossed.

"Basically." Caitlin agreed, rubbing her temples.

Iris sighed, disappointment clouding her features before she looked to the team, "think we could find a match for the father?"

"If there isn't a match for her mother on this Earth, what are the chances that her father is on this Earth too?" Barry answered, frustrated.

"She is a speedster, Barry," Iris grounded out, "they don't exactly grow on trees! If she utilizes the Speed Force, then she's from this world or from one of the multiverse."

"West, we just scoured my home Earth to find a match and there wasn't one and it's not likely that if we couldn't find her doppelganger from this Earth, we'll find it one of the other universes. If she's not here, alive or deceased- then she's not from here or in any of the surrounding multiverses." Harry bit out, obviously frustrated with their supposed leader.

Iris scoffed, turning to Barry as she opened her mouth to speak -no doubt to order him to do some task- but was promptly spoken over by Cisco:

“Why don’t we try contacting the Waverider,” he suggested, “if this isn’t a Speed Force issue then it’s an entirely different thing and maybe they’ve seen something like this in their travels? I can also Vibe Gypsy and see if she’s got something?”

Before Barry’s lips had even parted to suck in a breath to speak, Iris was quick to take command, “Caitlin, contact the Waverider, Harry- you look out for any possible breaches that may have been opened that link up with this new speedsters arrival and Cisco. .”

“I’m already on it.” Cisco called, throwing his hand out, creating a breach before jumping through it excitedly and it closed behind him as Iris sighed.

Barry stared at her quizzically as Ralph threw his hands up, “so what am I supposed to do? Stay here and twiddle my thumbs?”

“Maybe you can help Joe with trying to create a file on the girl?” Barry suggested, “I’m going down to talk to her, maybe she’ll be willing to give up some information and if she’s anything like the speedsters from this Earth, she’ll be starving.” With a quick kiss to Iris’ forehead, Barry flashed out of Star Labs.

(..)

With eight brown paper bags full of Big Belly Burger meals, Barry made his way to the Pipeline where Bolt lounged, braiding a thin lock of her hair before undoing it and then re-braiding it before blue eyes flickered to Barry.

“I brought you some food.” Barry lifted the bags lamely as Bolt stared at the logo with confused eyes.

“Big Belly Burger? Never heard of that fast-food restaurant before.” Bolt mused as she slowly straightened, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the cell as Barry’s moss green eyes widened in shock.

“You’ve _never_ heard of Big Belly Burger?!” Barry nearly yelped as he stared at the young speedster who shrugged as if the name of the biggest fast-food chain in the multiverse didn’t ring any bells.

“I personally prefer burritos.” Bolt shrugged once more, “but I’m not picky when it comes to food. I’ll eat what you put in front of me.”

 _‘If she’s this calm in light of her situation, what has she dealt with to be so unfazed like this?’_ Barry silently observed as he watched the young girl for a moment before dropping the burgers in the food hatch as she picked them up, peering into the bags until selecting one that peaked her palate.

“Are you not hungry?” Barry asked, lifting his jeans before plonking himself in front of the cell, crossing his long legs in front of him.

Bolt shifted her eyes to Barry to the burger and thrice more times before taking a massive bite, “. . .yes, I am. . .can you not see me eating?” Bolt asked around a mouthful of greasy goodness.

Barry shrugged, stuttering out a reply, “w-well, it’s just that from my experience or rather my world’s experience with speedsters is that we consume more than the average person. Like, a lot more than the average person.” At Bolt’s quizzical expression, Barry elaborated, “okay, you have Taco Bell on your Earth, yeah?” Bolt nodded, “okay, so imagine Taco Bell tacos. Now imagine 830 tacos as the average appetite of a speedster.”

Bolt’s baby blue eyes widened, jaw pausing mid-chew, “are you serious?! I can maybe handle five tacos let alone 830. I’d explode!”

“And that’s without guacamole.”

 _“Without guacamole?”_ Bolt mouthed, letting her back hit the cell wall as she tried to process that particular piece of information before indulging in another bite of burger.

Barry picked at his shoelaces, silently endeavouring to come up with a way to glean information from the unique speedster without letting on that he was attempting to gain intelligence.

“You’re trying to find a way to ask me questions about where I’m from without making it sound like you’re trying to ask me questions about where I’m from, aren’t you?” Barry’s head snapped up so hard the bones cracked slightly as hazel green eyes stared into oddly familiar blue. “Ask away.” Bolt waved her hand noncommittedly, swallowing a large portion before biting off another. “Big burger. .” Bolt observed quietly, noting that her massive bites have hardly made a dent in the burger.

“What’s your name?” Barry asked, staring at the young girl who slowly swallowed before answering.

My name’s Bolt.”

Barry blinked, “what kind of name is _‘Bolt’_?”

“What kind of name is _‘The Flash’_?” Bolt’s cutting remark was further enhanced with one shapely brow arching- taunting the older speedster who bit back a mirthful grin.

 _‘Sassy.’_ He discerned silently, “my real name is Barry Allen.”

“Good for you.” Bolt winked cheekily, the corners of her lips curving upward in a mischievous grin.

“You’re not going to tell me yours? Bolt can’t be your real name.” Barry pressed, a twin mischievous grin curving at his lips.

“For all you know it could be.”

Barry remained silent as he stared at her, acting so calm, even joking around with her captors, “why did you let me win?” Bolt’s jaw ceased movement at Barry’s question as her eyes flickered up to meet his, “you could have easily won that fight but instead you held back. . .why?”

Bolt sighed, setting the burger down as she finished what was left in her mouth, “what are you talking about? You won the fight. I wouldn’t be in here if you hadn’t.”

Barry considered her answer before shaking his head, “no, because I’ve seen you in action with the Brimstone Beast- you were able to manipulate your lightning in a way I have never seen from any speedster I’ve encountered,” Bolt’s eyes glued themselves to the ground of the cell, “you’re faster than me, I couldn’t keep up with you, even our _satellite,_ built to detect even the fastest speedster, you were escaping it at times. If it weren’t for my team and the fact that you didn’t know the layout of the city- you’d have completely escaped me. So why did you let me win, why did you voluntarily let us put you in the cell?”

Bolt sighed once more, trying to still her shaky hands, “I can’t go home. . . I can’t build the speed I need to open a bridge to my universe.”

Barry’s brows furrowed, “then how did you get here if you weren’t fast enough?”

“Complicated.” Bolt supplied vaguely.

“Then un-complicate it.” Hazel green and baby blue eyes snapped to the voice coming from the entrance.

“Iris, what are you-“ Barry’s sentence fell short as Bolt spoke over him, eyes turning cold- calculating.

 “I’m sorry, but I don’t take orders from people I barely know.” Her voice was just as cold as her eyes and Barry felt a niggling sensation in the back of his mind, it was familiar but he just couldn’t place the moment or the person he had seen such an expression.

“And yet, you opened up to Barry like a teenage girl’s diary.” Iris smirked but it quickly fell away when Bolt giggled.

“What did I open up with? What did I say that was incriminating? My name? The fact that I’m not fast enough to create a bridge? It’s hardly something you should take on board as the supposed leader of this team.” Iris bristled as Barry stood, on guard. Bolt’s eyes twinkled with excitement, “oh, I’m right aren’t I?” A large grin overtook the cold expression on her young face as she too, stood, shuffling closer to the cell door, “only somebody with a misplaced sense of superiority would burst in here demanding answers as if they had the right. Only someone with a deep, rooted fear of being useless to a team would make themselves the head of the operation without the skills or means to do so. Only someone who truly believed that they could run a team of superheros without it being a joint effort would act as if they put this team together themselves.” Bolt’s eyes bore a hole into Iris who trembled in her spot, despite lifting her chin to seem unaffected.

“Y-you’re just a kid. .” Iris murmured, trying to placate herself.

“I might be on the young side, but don’t think I’m naïve because of my appearance. If anything, being younger than your opponent gives you an advantage in more ways than just physical.” Bolt slowly pressed her hand to the glass, “be courteous toward me, or you’ll find that I can be less than hospitable.”

“You talk as if you can get out of there.” Barry looked to Bolt who stepped away from the glass.

“What makes you think I can’t?” With those parting words, Bolt pressed off the door, slowly sitting back down on the floor, resuming her consumption of the flavourful Big Belly Burger as the married couple slowly made their way back to the cortex, shaken by the young girls words.

As they entered the cortex, Harry and Caitlin stared at the couple with apprehensive looks, “what did she-“ Caitlin’s sentence was cut off as Iris raised her hand and the ice-user bit the inside of her cheek to block the poisonous words from flowing to Iris- finding herself a little envious of their speedster prisoner.

Harry observed Iris and Barry, wisely keeping his opinions to himself while silently deliberating the earlier events that transpired, _'did that girl’s words really cut that deeply with Iris?'_

“Who is she?” Iris demanded, teeth clenched as Barry sighed, staring at the monitor where Bolt sat, calmly eating her burger in quiet contemplation before blue eyes flicked to the camera and Barry could have sworn he saw a flicker of purple electricity crackle against her irises.

“That’s what we’re going to figure out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to thank you all for the kudos and support you've been giving this story! You're all awesome!!!


	3. Lips are Sealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash is stumped on the absolute enigma that is Bolt, which is why they devise a plan in which each member uses their individual methods of persuasion to coax information from the young speedster but it doesn’t go to plan- until the unexpected happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, just a quick disclaimer: I do not own any songs used in this chapter, all credit goes to owners. Also, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to everyone who has commented and liked this story. And yeah, I'm sort of bashing on Iris in this story but you'll see why (that and Iris isn't my favourite character).

“How are we going?” She asked, E/C eyes roaming over the screens swiftly, taking in the complex equations that were generating in rapid succession.

“Still looking, it’ll take time to pinpoint the exact location of where Bolt travelled to.” He murmured, focussed on the calculations in front of him, fingers flying against the keyboard as he expertly countered and solved the equations in front of him, beads of perspiration forming against his forehead- visible in the cool-toned light of the monitors.

“There’s that word again- time. That’s the one thing we need more of.” She murmured, hands clenching into fists- feeling her nails dig into the flesh of her palms.

“Is everyone. .”

“They’re looking too, Katya most than the rest.”

“What would you expect, she is Bolt’s-”

“I know what she is. I’m worried that we’ll run out of time- you know what’s gonna happen by the end of this week if we haven’t found her, Bolt is. .“

“I know what’ll happen, that’s why we’ll find her before _that_. Trust us.”

“I do trust you.” E/C eyes turned down in hesitation, “it’s the universe I don’t trust. Not after-”

(..)

Cisco entered the cortex, eye twitching as he stared at his teammates, “she now wants chunky yarn to knit a blanket with her arms and I have no information to show for it. If you need me, I’ll be at some store that sells _taupe_ yarn!” Cisco growled before opening a breach and storming into it.

Barry sighed, “Cait, how did you go?” Hoping that his cryokinetic friend might have something better to report.

“Sorry, Barry. Bolt wanted a hair tie and perfume for some reason.” Caitlin apologised, sighing as she typed something on the keyboard that Barry couldn’t see as he, too sighed.

Joe hadn’t fared any better, having been sent to get Bolt a change of clothes in exchange for information, but as soon as she received her package- there was only radio silence from the speedster after that.

Barry went down to see her, but she was reserved. Quiet. Almost as if she expected Iris to pop out from underneath his jacket with a recorder to document the conversation.

“She took my Bluetooth speaker and phone, she’s been listening to music for the past half-hour.”

“Wait- how did she manage to get your phone and speaker?” Caitlin asked as all eyes turned to Harry, his eyebrows raised as he slowly sipped at his coffee, looking over his teammates, silently floundering for an excuse before he turned and walked away without a word.

Team Flash just sighed at Harry’s usual standoffish attitude as Barry rubbed at his face with both hands, “well, that’s it. We’ll never get her to talk and the only thing we’ve done is made her more comfortable, her lips are sealed.”

Caitlin slowly lifted her head, expression pinched in concentration as she turned her honey gaze to Barry, “we haven’t tried one person yet.”

The Scarlet Speedster furrowed his eyebrows, “who?”

(..)

Ralph shook his head from side to side, cracking his neck and tightening his death grip on the Taco Bell bag as he made his way into the Pipeline, not expecting the sight he was greeted to.

Bolt’s hair was braided into a thick plait that laid against her shoulder, a few strands framed her face, the Bluetooth speaker was blaring a familiar song and he could faintly hear the young speedster humming the words, weaving the yarn through her arms in slow, precise movements. She had changed into ripped jeans and a shirt that was too big for her tiny body- making her seem younger than she already was.

Baby blue eyes flicked up to meet his and for a moment, he was completely thrown off guard by how vulnerable and open her eyes were at that moment. She wasn’t sassy and full of sarcastic one liners like Barry had described her, she wasn’t aloof and uncaring as Cisco had surmised her to be, she wasn’t condescending or threatening as Iris reported.

Right now, she was just a lonely kid in a cell- barred from her powers until her captors saw fit she could be released.

“H-hi there, I’m Ralph D-”

“Are you here to squeeze information out of me? Because you’re wasting your time.” Her voice was hard, eyes turning stony as the wall that was foolishly let down had been built back up instantly with reinforcements.

Ralph shook himself out of his mental daze before shaking his head to her question, “n-no. I just came to give you lunch,” he lifted the bag, lamely, “and to keep you company- you seem lonely down here all by your lonesome.” Starting forward, the Elongated Man gently dropped the food down the hatch into her waiting hands before moving to the front as Bolt turned down the music until it was just in the background, “so, what are you makin’?”

“A blanket. It gets cold in here at night so I thought I’d make one.”

“Why didn’t you just ask one of us? I’ve heard you’ve been quite the chatty one when it comes to your demands.” Ralph asked, trying to hold back a grin at the memory of seeing his teammates running around to accommodate for this girl’s every whim.

Bolt shrugged but Ralph caught the glimmer of sadness and intense longing behind the stoic front in her eyes. Whatever the blanket represented for her, it meant a great deal to her and if she was making one from scratch in a _cell_? It was obvious she wanted a small piece of her home with her.

She was just a kid, after all.

“Look, I have no idea what you’re feeling, being in this place and away from the world you know.”

“No. You don’t know, nobody knows how I feel.” Bolt answered, her eyes flicking to meet his for a moment before returning to the blanket, jaw clenching slightly.

“I might not know what it feels like to be trapped in a completely different world, but I do know what it feels like to be isolated, to be absolutely detached from everyone you know. To have nobody’s shoulder to rest your head on. To have no family in your corner- nobody to believe, protect you. To be _alone_. I know how that feels.”

During Ralph’s speech, Bolt hands had stilled, limp in her lap- eyes downcast to her yarn-covered legs but she was attentive, listening to his words.

“If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m only a call away- all you have to do is ask.” Ralph looked contemplative for a moment, “y’know what? You must feel so cramped in that tiny cell, I’ll see if can talk to Barry about letting you stretch your legs for a little bit.”

Bolt’s eyes widened in shock as she watched Ralph stand, brushing his pants down, “wait, hold on- I thought that Iris woman was your boss and even then, it’d be stupid to let me free, I’m a prisoner.”

“You’re not a prisoner, you’re just a kid who needs to stretch her legs and actually, I don’t answer to Iris- I _negotiate_ with Barry. He’s more diplomatic and concerned for you than she is- don’t wait up, kiddo!” Ralph winked at Bolt good-naturedly before turning back walking out of the Pipeline.

Now he knew what that song was.

(..)

Bolt laid the complete blanket on the cramped floorspace of the cell, reaching behind her as she sprayed a few squirts of perfume on the blanket before draping the scented covers over her, curling up in the plush, comfortable yarn.

Closing her eyes, she focused her senses on the feel of the blanket, imagining it was a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around her- comforting and safe, the scent of the unique cologne wafting around her and she imagined it against a soft neck as she would bury her nose in the crook of where a shoulder meets neck, inhaling the familiar aroma that had been a part of her life since before she could remember and then finally- the song.

Tuning out the male voice, Bolt replaced it with a soft, feminine warble- the soothing notes hit at a calm, gentle pace, harmonising with the beat as Bolt heard the soft movements of her mother’s hands working on her latest project- another blanket- her perfume wafting around her as the warmth of her arms and the blanket created the perfect cocoon for the young girl to sink into.

 _“I loved you dangerously._  
_More than the air that I breathe._  
 _Knew we would crash at the speed that we were going._  
 _Didn’t care if the explosion ruined me._  
 _Baby, I loved you dangerously._  
 _Mmmm, mmmm._  
 _I loved you dangerously.”_

It felt like her mother was with her and for a moment, just for one tiny moment, she allowed her emotions to lead as she buried her face in the blanket, silently weeping, “I miss you, _Mum. ._ ”

(..)

“Okay, just a warning, if you try to run- you’re going back in the cell and we’re not trying this again.” Cisco warned, open hand hovering over the recognition scanner as Bolt nodded, the blanket folded in the corner with the phone, Bluetooth speaker and perfume resting atop it neatly- undamaged and in perfect working condition much to the surprise of Team Flash.

“Okay.” Cisco acquiesced, palm pressing flat against the scanner and the door to the cell automatically lifted as Bolt sighed, feeling cool, fresh air blow against her face, ruffling her hair as she smiled, stretching before taking one step out of the cell.

And that one step was enough.

Amethyst electricity crackled around her as she gasped, blue eyes widening in shock before rolling back into her skull and Team Flash witnessed something horrifying.

Bolt’s skin slowly turned into a sallow yellow, cheeks thinning out until the hollows turned what was youthful- skeletal, eye sockets sinking- becoming a bruised red and vibrant reddish-chocolate brown hair became a dark, ash grey as she fell forward, her breath leaving as a broken sigh.

A flash of yellow lightning lit up the room with a gale of wind as Barry’s arms wrapped around her, knees cracking against the ground as he cradled her close to his chest, her massive shirt bunching against his hands- riding against her tummy which was turning the same sickly yellow, “Bolt. . .Bolt, answer me. Come on, sweetie.” His hands brushing her hair from her forehead as Caitlin dropped to her knees beside him, eyes roving over Bolt’s sickly form, fingers flitting across her neck as she expertly pressed her fingertips to Bolt’s pulse point.

"B-Barry. ." Bolt whispered, her hands shaking as she clutched at his shirt with what strength she had left, "o-on-" with harsh, labored breaths, she continued, "o-one w-we-week. ."

"What?" Barry murmured as Bolt fell back, her hands slipping from his shirt as her body bent backward, hair unfurling from the braid- tumbling over his arms in a curtain of wavy gray locks, dark eyelids sliding shut as shuddering breaths slowly calmed until he could hardly feel the rise of her chest, "Bolt?" Barry gently shook her, as if to rouse her from her slumber, "Bolt?!" Nothing.

“Her pulse is weak, we need to get her to the med bay if we’re going to keep her alive.” Caitlin observed as Ralph stood back, eyes wide with fear, Cisco ran his hands through his hair- a sign of stress.

“She could probably be faking it- we don’t know all of her powers.” Iris accused, glaring at the unconscious speedster. as four pairs of incredulous eyes turned to their supposed Team Leader.

“West,” Wells started and Iris turned her attention to him, dark eyes still blazing with unresolved anger, “I don’t care if you are Team Leader- this is a young child, one we know nothing about and is severely ill. If you can’t see past your childish resentment toward Bolt, then maybe you should excuse yourself from the laboratory.” Harry stated, steel blue eyes cold.

“You’re kicking me out? That’s insane,” Iris laughed humorlessly, “Barry- back me up.” Iris flicked her eyes to her husband but Barry only turned cold eyes to her.

“She’s sick, Iris. She needs our help and I’m prepared to give her my full attention- if you don’t like that,” Barry carefully stood, arms tightening around Bolt’s legs and torso as he turned with Caitlin, Bolt's head resting gently over Barry's strong heart, lulling her into safety despite her current state, “Harry’s made your choice clear as have I. Excuse me.” Barry walked away from her without a glance back, hurrying to the med bay with Cisco, Caitlin, Harry and Ralph trailing behind- leaving Iris all alone.

Hands tightened against her thighs, wedding and engagement ring glinted in the fluorescent light of the Pipeline as Iris glared at the cell that Bolt had previously been occupying, “who the hell is this girl?!” She spat through clenched teeth.


	4. Disease

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the unexpected turn of Bolt’s health, Caitlin and Barry stay by the ill speedster's side before indulging in an enlightening conversation that might just work in their favour. .

Bolt’s breaths exhaled in heavy wheezes as Caitlin gently swept the grey hair away from the young speedster’s forehead, her eyes flicking over to the monitors even when she knew the results were still the same.

It was just a habit, a hope that a young girl’s _(one who is extremely talented and strong in the face of a foreign world and suspicious characters who locked her up in a power-dampening cell and still managed to have them all eating out of her hand)_ light couldn’t be extinguished so easily.

“Did Gypsy or the Waverider have any information that can help us?” Barry asked quietly, his eyes never leaving Bolt’s aged face.

“No, I’m sorry, Barry. But Gypsy said she’d look into it and keep Cisco updated should something come up and Sarah said she’d keep her ear to the ground if any news of a similar situation occurs in their missions.” Barry’s answer was a defeated sigh.

Pregnant silence filled the med bay once again.

Caitlin ran over the scene of Bolt collapsing in the Pipeline again in her mind but nothing was making sense. Why did Bolt have such a reaction as soon as she stepped out of cell? Why was Iris not being more sympathetic to a youth in a troubling situation and why was Barry being so overprotective? “Barry, what did Bolt tell you? She was trying to say something to you before she lost consciousness.” Caitlin looked up at the speedster, who sat as close to the bed as he could in the wheelie chair- cradling Bolt’s hand in both of his gently, running his thumb over the sallow skin on the back of Bolt’s hand.

“She just said; _‘one week’_. She couldn’t get anything else out but that. I’ve been trying to figure out what it means but there’s nothing. Nothing in her behaviour this past week that suggested it or has pointed to any kind of time-limit that she was following.” Barry clenched his jaw, frustration twisting his features as pained hazel-green eyes made contact with honey brown.

Caitlin’s brow furrowed gently, pen tapping against her fingers rhythmically, “unless Bolt knew all along that her cells were going to deteriorate so rapidly and in such a short time frame.” The cryokinetic proposed.

“Why do that, though? Why not tell us so we can help?” Barry questioned, eyes following the medical practitioner closely.

“Trust.” Caitlin answered, “she didn’t trust us enough to let us help her. I mean, can you blame her?” Gesturing to the unconscious teen, she continued, “the day we met her, we all made the decision to chase her into Star Labs and lock her up in the Pipeline for safety reasons- with our track record with speedsters from other universes it isn’t a surprise to us and we would all take the same precaution, but Bolt didn’t know to the full extent.” Barry nodded, keeping silent to hear his friend deduce, “to her, we just chucked a teenager into a cell where she couldn’t use her powers and tried to get information out of her the moment we could and let’s not talk about the train wreck that happened with Iris- that only fuelled her thoughts to not trust us. We never extended the same courtesy.” Caitlin turned her attention to Bolt, “no wonder she wasn’t forthcoming. Whoever trained her, they did it well.”

Barry sighed, his head drooping as his hands tightened around Bolt’s but said nothing as Caitlin turned to fiddle with the monitors before she paused, slowly turning once more to Barry.

“There’s also one more thing I need to ask.” Barry lifted his head at Caitlin’s statement, eyebrows furrowed as Caitlin started, “we all saw what happened between you and Iris when Bolt went down.”

“What about it, Cait?” Barry asked, tone taking on a hard, guarded front.

Caitlin, unfazed- continued, “you seem unusually protective of Bolt. To the point where you’d kick your own wife out of the lab because of a young girl.”

“Are you saying what I did was wrong?”

“Your intentions were good, but your execution left a lot to be desired. I understand that Bolt is just a kid and I understand that you’re under a lot of pressure and I even understand that Iris could have handled this situation a lot better than she had and I honestly have no idea what’s going through her mind right now. . . but there is always a better way to resolve conflict than deflecting it.”

Barry sighed, knowing her words were true as he kept hold of Bolt’s hand, looking down at the young girl on the bed, “I don’t know what it is about her. . . but I just have this overwhelming protective instinct over her. If I could tell you why, I would but I don’t know so I can’t.”

Caitlin nodded, not pushing the subject to Barry’s relief as she tucked a bit of Bolt’s grey hair behind her ear before spotting something nestled in the cavern of it. Frowning softly, her fingers gently nestled around the foreign object in Bolt’s ear before pulling it out.

The tiny black object was a speaker/receiver, meant for communication and instruction.

“I think she can be saved.” Caitlin murmured, voice high- hopeful.

Barry’s head snapped to hers when he too noticed the small communicator that had been hiding underneath Bolt’s hair.

Honey brown eyes met hazel green.

 _“CISCO!”_ Two voices called in unison.

(..)

Joe sat in front of his daughter in her apartment as she clenched her jaw angrily, knees shaking as she ranted and raved about how unfair it was to be kicked out of the lab when she was the only one thinking rationally about the whole situation but Joe just shook his head.

“You don’t see it, baby, but you’re clouded by anger.” Joe raised his hand, effectively stopping his daughter from speaking and with a warning look- she slumped back in the couch, hands tightened together, her skin straining under the pressure she pushed into her knuckles. “Why? Why are you directing so much anger toward that young girl?”

“You didn’t hear the way she spoke to me, Dad. She was a complete brat.” Iris hissed.

Joe sighed, “you have to understand that Bolt is in a foreign world. She has no idea what’s going on. How would you feel if you were suddenly thrown into a world you knew nothing about and a group of strangers locked you in a cell and were demanding answers? Wouldn’t you be on edge a little bit?  Wouldn’t you have the right to be the tiniest bit angry at your predicament?” He asked, trying to appeal to his daughter’s common sense.

“She didn’t have to say what she did. I did _nothing_ to her.” Iris argued heatedly.

“You were goading her, Iris!” Joe snapped, his baritone voice echoing across the room, shocking his eldest, “you had no business to be down there when Barry was talking to her in the Pipeline. You had no damn business acting smug like and you were completely out of line when you were trying to stop everyone from helping a _teenage_ girl that is incredibly sick.” Joe stood, shrugging on his coat, “you need to wake up, baby girl- because believe it or not, not everyone agrees with the leader.”

With those words ringing in the apartment, Joe left his daughter to reflect.

Even he had no idea why she was behaving so oddly- like Bolt was threatening her position. But Joe couldn’t put his finger on what position Iris held that she could become so livid as quickly as she did.

"That little girl is turning everyone against me." Iris growled to herself, "I won't make the same mistake twice."

(..)

“Oh, yeah. We got a signal, baby!” Cisco cheered, clapping his hands together as the device to amplify the communicator’s range operated at full capacity.

Barry laughed in elation, “we can save her. We can really save her.” He whispered as Caitlin barrelled into him, hugging him tight, the same hope that Barry was experiencing in waves also washed over her.

“Wait, don’t wave your flags just yet. We have signal but to pinpoint said signal isn’t going to be easy.” Cisco fiddled with the device before sitting down in the chair, typing furiously on the keyboard.

“What do you mean?” Barry asked, smile slipping from his face as he pulled away from Caitlin.

“I mean, these equations are. . advanced. So advanced that half of these haven’t even begun to be ideas on our Earth.” Cisco explained, brows furrowed in concentration, “whoever made this signal is a freaking genius.” The inter-dimensional manipulator looked up to his teammates, “smarter than Harry with the Thinking Cap I’d bet.”

Caitlin moved behind Cisco, looking over his shoulder at the screen, "this algorithm. . it looks familiar doesn't it?" 

Cisco transferred the series of interlocking equations to the main screen as Barry studied it, arms crossed as he took in the calculations, "yeah they do. . . but where are they from?"

(..)

“What the fuck?” He murmured to himself, eyes wide as he read the stats on the screen, capturing the attention of his teammate.

“What is it?” She asked, brows creased in confusion.

“Someone hacked into Bolt’s communicator.” He answered, flustered as his fingers flew across the keyboard, sunlight breaking from the clouds, illuminating the room through the floor to ceiling windows.

“How the hell did that happen? You created the algorithm.” E/C eyes followed the monitors.

A frustrated sigh, his teeth clenching hard, “I know I did. Someone has Bolt and took her communicator. You know what that means.”

Back tensing and arched straight, entire body rigid and fists clenched by thighs. “Her body’s breaking down. They’re trying to contact us.”

“Course of action?” Stopping momentarily, his eyes met E/C once more.

A harsh exhale of breath before hands gripped at the chair, causing it to creak under the strain of a powerful hold, “give them a warm reception,” legs shoulder-width apart, chin lifting and eyes stony, “we’re getting our girl back.” You answered, voice steely as your eyes turned back to the monitor.

“Hang on, Bolt. We’re coming.”


	5. Coincidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been one coincidence after another, but is it just that- a coincidence? Or is it fate knocking on Team Flash’s door, hoping to reveal all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading my story and giving it kudos! It means so much, I know its kinda a slow burn fic but I promise we're getting to the juicy part!! Please do comment, it makes my day!!

“What the hell is going on?!” Harry growled, ripping off the Thinking Cap with excessive force as he turned away from the large screen, “not even the Cap is making heads or tails with these stupid equations!”

Barry, Caitlin, Ralph and Cisco sighed collectively, “if the Thinking Cap is unable to boost your intelligence to this calibre, then do you think that maybe-”

“She’s not working with DeVoe.” Barry cut Cisco off, voice hard with conviction.

“How do we know?” Harry questioned, staring directly into Barry’s eyes-the challenge clear.

“She’s just a kid, Harry. Not some evil mastermind’s grunt.” Ralph growled as Barry’s jaw clenched, Caitlin took a step forward- about to step in to prevent the heated argument from going thermonuclear when Cisco exclaimed wordlessly.

“What? Cisco, what’s up?” Caitlin’s attention turned from the clashing genius, speedster and stretcher to the engineer who was now standing, arms outstretched above his head, mouth hanging in shock as his eyes were popped open with the same emotion.

“I’m in. Something let me in.” His voice was hushed, a stark contrast to the high-pitched squeal he’d just produced moments earlier.

Earlier animosity forgotten, the three scientists and ex-detective watched the screen. It was a black screen with equations racing by the monitor at an impressive rate as mismatched numbers and symbols started lining up- letters appearing in their place until it became a complete sentence.

 _“Is Bolt with you?”_ Cisco read aloud, staring at the screen before looking over to his teammates.

“It’s her team.” Caitlin deduced.

“We don’t know that for sure, we need to be careful. It could be an enemy of her world coming after her.” Ralph supplied, arms crossed.

“How do we respond?” Cisco asked, looking directly to Barry for confirmation.

Barry’s knuckles pressed to his lips in contemplation, “ask for identity confirmation- we need to know that they’re Bolt’s friends, that they aren’t going to harm her.”

Cisco typed out his reply before sending it off.

Moments later- a digital image started appearing through the code- creating an image of a one-year-old baby, swaddled in a summery red dress with tiny white booties on her feet, reddish brown hair framing a tiny chubby face, large baby blue eyes almost seeming green in the sunlight as she looked directly at the camera- a familiar taupe blanket underneath her as her tiny hands gripped at the thick wool. A massive smile lit the baby girls face, gummy except for two tiny bottom teeth breaking from the skin.

Barry choked, his entire body tensing as he stared at her- feeling his world shatter as he stared at the image, tears blurring his vision- causing the image of the tiny little girl to swim- the thought that the happy tiny baby in the picture was the dying teenage girl in the med bay, fighting for her life- was hard for him to process.

“Oh, my God.” Caitlin whispered, hand clutching at her heart.

“That’s Baby Bolt.” Cisco breathed. Ralph nodded, a tiny smile on his face as he noticed how much of a happy baby she was as Harry stood there, rooted to the spot as he stared at the image that slowly faded from view.

 _“Is that confirmation enough?”_ The next sentence appeared through the numbers.

Ralph surged forward, nearly knocking Cisco out of the way before he typed his own response, **_“what is the name of Bolt’s favourite song?”_**

“What the hell are you doing, Ralph?!” Cisco cried, rubbing his arm but Barry stopped him from verbally ripping shreds off the Elongated Man.

“When I went to visit her in the Pipeline, she was listening to a song- it was obviously her favourite because it comforted her. If you give someone a playlist and speaker, they’ll put on a song that keeps them grounded, something that’ll help them feel safe in what feels like an unpredictable environment.” Ralph explained, watching the monitor with trained eyes.

 _“Dangerously by Charlie Puth.”_ The confirmation was enough as Ralph nodded before stepping away from the computer. Cisco moved back to his place in front of the monitor and he typed their affirmation, allowing Bolt’s team to know that they indeed did have who they were looking for.

_“Is she safe?”_

Everyone in the cortex stopped breathing.

“We have to tell them the truth.” Barry stated, eyes never leaving the screen as another message was decoded.

 _“Please tell me that my little girl is okay.”_ Barry’s heart stung as he read the message.

“It’s her mother. .” Ralph murmured, hand lifting to cover his mouth.

Barry moved forward, hands squeezing Cisco’s shoulders. The unspoken request was answered immediately as Cisco once again, relinquished control of the keyboard and stepped to the side- allowing the speedster to take the helm.

 ** _“She’s dying and we’re unable to pinpoint what it might be that caused this kind of reaction. We need information so we can save her, so we can tell you that ‘yes, she’s okay’.”_** The clinical answer was sent and everyone present held their breath once again, awaiting an answer from Bolt’s supposed mother.

 _“Oh G-shqweasdh0*(e44.”_ The garbled response served to confuse the people watching before another reply took its place. _“Did you understand the equations in the communicator?”_ The question was clinical, cold.

“What?” Barry murmured, eyes flicking toward his friends- who were just as thrown off by the question as he was- considering their last interaction was fucking _gibberish_. Thick brows furrowed in confusion, his fingers slammed against the keys frustratedly as he typed out his scathing reply:

**_“Your daughter is dying and you want to talk mathematics? What kind of fucking mother are you?”_ **

“Barry, don’t say something you’ll regret.” Caitlin warned, worried for her friend’s safety but also for Bolt’s life. This wasn’t the time to act irrationally.

“Oh, I don’t regret this.” Barry growled through clenched teeth.

 _“Her mother can’t come to the keyboard right now, I’ll be handling any further correspondence. This is important to Bolt’s survival. We need to know.”_ The message was sent, this time it felt more forceful.

“Just answer them, Barry.” Cisco advised, noticing the yellow electricity crackling around his friend’s fingers as Barry was getting more and more agitated with Bolt’s team member's lack of empathy to the young speedster's predicament.

Lips curling into a snarl, Barry answered:

 ** _“No, we had no idea what the equations were.”_** Barry felt it necessary to neglect the part of information where they did look familiar and rung bells in his, Cisco, Caitlin and Harry’s heads.

The reply was almost instant:

_“Then you might not understand her condition.”_

“What the hell does that mean?” Barry growled, body starting to blur as he vibrated- his emotions taking control of his abilities.

_“She needs to come home, all the equipment needed to reverse the effects are here. We need to open a bridge to your world and bring Bolt home to save her.”_

“Seems like it’s happened more than once to them.” Harry observed, “they obviously know how to handle this.”

 _“Please.”_ Was the only word transmitted after that.

Barry looked to Caitlin. He trusted the biochemist. Hell, biology was what she specialised in. If there’s anyone who could understand the inner workings of the human body, it was Dr. Caitlin Snow. A silent conversation crackled between them with eye contact being the only form of communication before Barry flicked his eyes back to the monitor once again:

 ** _“We have a biochemist among our team- one who has first-hand knowledge with people like Bolt. At least give us time to halt the disease before it progresses too far and you’ll be too late to create a path to our Earth. Allow us some information to help her until we can figure out a way to bring Bolt home.”_** Barry sent the lengthy explanation and waited for a response.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited even more.

“What’s taking so long?” Ralph asked, expression crinkled as he stared at the inactive monitor.

“Seems like someone isn’t happy about having to give us information.” Harry quipped, “why else would they take this long to come up with a reply?” He questioned.

Caitlin opened her mouth to chime in her opinion before another message appeared:

_“It’s an anomaly in her DNA. Her regenerative cells do more than just heal her- coupled with her impressive speed, Bolt’s cells are maturing too fast for her body to keep up with the changes, so the aging process has been sped up almost one thousand times faster than the normal rate for a kid like her. It usually comes in spurts and she’ll normally tell someone before it gets to a critical point but I can tell that she wasn’t forthcoming. Here are the plans and schematics for the equipment we made and the full in-depth description of her illness, hopefully this will help you make sense of Bolt’s condition.”_

The next transmission was more heartfelt.

_“Save her, please save my little blur- I can’t lose her.”_

Team Flash looked to each-other, resolve hardened at the heartfelt words of Bolt’s mother- who was willing to put her trust and daughter’s life in the hands of people she had never met as Barry- using his speed, copied every single equation and blueprint for the equipment and jotting down every word to Bolt’s condition before he handed Caitlin the medical forms and Cisco the blueprints for the device.

 ** _“We won’t let you down.”_** Barry responded ardently.

_“I’m sure you won’t. In the meantime, my team and I will be working full force to open a portal to your world- you just focus on Bolt, she’ll need all the attention you can provide. Is there anyone on your team we can work with to establish a more stable bridge on your universe?”_

Barry looked to Cisco who nodded his head once, **_“yes. I do, he’ll keep in touch with you constantly. We’ll help stabilise your daughter until we can figure out a way to connect our worlds.”_**

 _“Take care of her.”_ Bolt’s mother’s message ended there and the screen returned to its original state.

Barry straightened up from his hunched position at the monitor, looking to his metahuman team members, “let’s get to work.”

(..)

Caitlin took down notes on Bolt’s current state, applying the methods that Bolt’s team member had transferred to them.

Setting down the clipboard, the cryokinetic sat down in Barry’s vacated seat, taking the young speedsters hand, watching her face. Caitlin didn’t know why, but the young girl unconscious in front of her felt so painfully familiar- like she’d seen her before, or someone like her in the past and she couldn’t put her finger on who it could have been.

Bolt was familiar in so many ways.

The way she spoke, the way her mouth would tilt in a small smile when she found something particularly amusing but didn’t want to laugh outright, the way her eyes crinkled when she’d be lost in thought, the way her body handled the speed so effortlessly when she fought Brimstone Beast and how she maneuvered with Barry as he chased her through the city.

Her attitude and personality.

It was all so familiar and Caitlin couldn’t figure it out.

Clenching her jaw, Caitlin set aside the test-serum she was in the middle of brewing to reverse the effects of Bolt’s regenerative cells attacking each other before she walked to the medical freezer, opening it and taking out two vials of blood- turning the cold components in her hands to read the labels. On one _'Bolt'_ was written in Caitlin's neat hand-the other unnamed.

“I need to know.”

(..)

“What the hell are you thinking, Katya? Giving them all that information?! They can’t save her!” Howard growled, honey brown eyes blazing with anger as he stared at the woman in front of him who lounged on his wheelie chair with ease. “If they couldn’t crack our algorithm or haven’t seen anything like it, how the hell are they going to help Bolt?!”

“What’s up your ass? They’re genuine.” Katya shrugged, looking back to the monitor.

“ _GENUINE?!_ ” Howard exploded, “we don’t know these idiots! They’re the ones that could be killing Bolt, if she’s not already dead!”

“Alright, enough.” Y/N’s hard voice spoke from the couch, head slowly lifting from her hands and E/C eyes could freeze over glaciers with the stare she was directing at her teammate, “Bolt is alive, I know it. But we also know that if they figure out our algorithm, we are completely fucked. They’ll know who we are and we know the shit that’ll go down because of it. We need to act quickly and work with the engineer to get this portal up and running.”

“How do you know we can trust them? In our line of work?” Pietra asked, one blue and scarlet eye wide with worry.

Y/N looked around the room, looking at her colleague’s, her family- the men and women she fought with and saved the world with, “really? It’s just a hunch.”


	6. You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support on this story! I can't thank you guys enough! Please do leave more down in below in the form of kudos or comments, I love them both!!

It was crunch time, a week had passed.

A week of failed antidotes and malfunctioning devices until today.

The last day.

“I’ve synthesised a serum that will hopefully halt Bolt’s cells from attacking each other long enough for Cisco’s device to work on balancing her molecules and allowing whatever mutant gene that powers her abilities to pass through her body unharmed.” Caitlin explained to Joe, Barry, Cisco, Ralph and Harry as she held up the dark purplish-maroon liquid in the vial, “it’s a blend of the ingredients Bolt’s team provided as well as a little of Caitlin Snow intuition.”

The team smiled at Caitlin and the finished product, “thank you, Cait. You’ve been amazing.” Barry praised her as the cryokinetic nodded with a smile before they turned to Cisco.

“Peep this, _mi amigos_.” Cisco held out his hand and loosened his fingers from the fist he made and from his fingers, dangled a necklace with a dainty purple lightning bolt charm, “I call it: The Firebolt Charm.” Cisco’s eyes twinkled as he looked to his friends who stared at him- amused at his usual antics as he paused for dramatic effect before continuing, “with the help of the talented Earth-2 Harry Wells,” said Harry bowed with a ridiculous flourish, “we have constructed the perfect power balancing necklace no one on this Earth or any other has ever seen! With the schematics of Caitlin’s power-dampening snowflake necklace coupled with the device Bolt’s team had created, this is the final piece to the puzzle. Within this tiny bolt right here is the key to Bolt’s molecular code, in conjunction with Caitlin’s serum, it _will_ balance the effects of our tiny speedster’s condition. I guarantee it.”

Cisco handed the necklace over to Barry who maintained his composure, “thank you both,” said speedster managed to choke out without laughing, “that was some explanation there, Shakespeare.” He teased.

“It is my art, I shall express in the way I choose.” Cisco bowed before straightening, fixing his hair.

“Well, I was watching over Bolt and nothing seemed too different, she had a few fluctuations but nothing major.” Ralph inputted as the team nodded together.

“Okay. . .lets see if this works. Cisco, contact the team- see if they can come through.”

“Will do.” Cisco jogged out of the cortex, making his way to the breach room as Harry followed with a few vague hand gestures to simulate that he was going to help before he too rounded the corner.

“Joe, go with them, yeah? At least they’ll have some protection, I know Cisco can breach but the extra manpower will be a massive help. Ralph, you too.”

“You got it, Bar.” Joe nodded, hand resting over his gun as Ralph saluted before the two followed after Cisco and Harry as Caitlin and Barry made their way over to the med bay.

“Have you spoken to Iris, lately?” Caitlin gently probed the subject, keeping her voice nonchalant as they entered the med bay, hoping that her aloof attitude wouldn’t tip Barry off as Iris seemed to be a sensitive subject for him at the moment.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve hardly been at the apartment since the-” Barry pondered over the best way to describe what happened nearly a week ago, “the incident.” Barry helped her prepare everything yet his eyes were lost in thought, “I don’t think we’d be able to have a conversation without tearing strips off each other. It’s best if we keep apart for the time being. I won’t be able to keep my anger in check, especially with the way Iris can get.”

Caitlin nodded gently- choosing not to input her own opinion with Barry’s recent short fuse with Iris as she set the vial into the syringe as Barry very carefully slipped the necklace over Bolt’s head, making sure not to hurt her.

“Moment of truth.” Caitlin murmured, resting the needle of the syringe against the vein in the crook of Bolt’s elbow.

Barry cradled Bolt’s unresponsive free hand, his other pressed against her clammy forehead, “let’s do it.”

(..)

Harry poured over the monitors as Cisco slipped his vibe glasses on, raising his palm- awaiting Harry’s command as both Joe and Ralph readied themselves for Bolt’s team and for anything malicious that might come their way- ready to defend Cisco and Harry and their friends.

“Opening a breach to the coordinates in three. . .two. . now!” The breach opened and swirled into a large portal, “Harry?” Cisco questioned, hand shaking with the force of the breach expanding throughout the universes and beyond.

“We’ve made contact! They’re coming through!” Harry called from above the noise of the portal as Cisco fell to his knees, free hand clutching at his forehead.

“ _QUICKLY!”_ Vibe’s teeth grit together hard, grinding with the pressure as he felt multiple entities entering his portal, crossing the path from their respective worlds.

“Otherworlder’s entering Earth 1 in three. . two. . one. . now!”

An unearthly crimson aura illuminated the portal.

Cisco slowly closed the breach and the crimson light slowly dissipated around their universal visitors and the first person that was noticeable was a gorgeous woman levitating off the ground, surrounded in that same crimson aura.

She was a vision.

Hair lifting around her like it defied gravity itself, like lustrous locks of gold- mismatched eyes glowing, one scarlet and one a bright gold. Her outfit consisted of a white top tucked into her skirt and a crimson cardigan slipping off her shoulders haphazardly- flapping around her upper half lazily as a black skirt fluttered around her thighs- black stockings ripped and gauged- revealing the creamy skin of her legs underneath and dark maroon ankle boots, looking worse for wear.

She looked ethereal.

Four pairs of eyes moved to the next person that caught their interest.

The next person was in a _suit of armour_ , silver and blue armour identical to Iron Man’s gold and maroon suit. The red eyes were intimidating, the plates whirred as the hands clenched and unclenched- feet shuffling about albeit not quietly. The coloured steel scratched and worn, as if the suit had seen many battles yet it was still fully functional, not a fact that Team Flash could take lightly. Cisco could tell by looking at the intricate cuts of the plates and the way every molecule of the suit meticulously bonded to create the work of art he was witnessing, that his eyeballs were treated to the sight of nanotechnology at its finest.

To say Cisco was inwardly fangirling at the sheer ingenuity of such an amazing piece of tech was a serious understatement.

Next to the Iron Man twin was a Siren-like beauty in a skin-tight black bodysuit, her arms and legs encased in a deep red material- the same as what the black half of her suit was made from. Two Para Ordnance pistols were strapped to her thighs and a pair of military batons leisurely swung in her lax grip. Joe could tell that beneath her cavalier exterior was a cold, clinical person uncaring of her next target. Chin-length hair framed her face. . .if there wasn’t the scariest glare they could ever imagine seeing on a woman’s face before.

The next member was a tall, intimidating man- an air of confidence and righteousness oozed off him like he was the true embodiment of the American flag itself. Eyes a blue that seemed almost unnatural as he scanned the breach room and its inhabitants with practiced ease, mentally calculating their strengths and weaknesses with one burning sweep of his gaze. His blonde hair fell into those mesmerising eyes, the top of his hair was swept to one side, revealing the all-around shaved sides of his head, leaving only the top to rest against his chin in a windswept fashion. He was a pure carving of Adonis- the perfect man. Muscles seemed to grow muscles as his friction-proof top stretched around broad chest, his pants were black, military grade cargos and Desert Eagle pistol strapped to his thigh as well as a large circular shield adhered to the back of his black leather jacket.

 Everyone knew who this man was without even guessing.

The tiny figure next to the gargantuan man was wringing her hands together, looking to the strange men in front of her shyly. Her powder green hair reached her hips in a straight curtain-framing her face. Emerald eyes shifting from every member of Team Flash worriedly, large cardigan buttoned up to her throat and knee-length black skirt dwarfed by the hem of said cardigan, light tan ankle boots scuffling against each other- flat heels hardly making any noise on the cement flooring, skirt swaying against her knees as she chewed on her thumbnail. She seemed so young, delicate features seeming almost pixie-like, nose and cheeks dusted with freckles. Her small frame swallowed by the large clothing she cocooned herself in.

But Cisco, Harry and Joe’s eyes went straight to the person in front, shock and confusion coursing through their bodies as Ralph looked on, confused about the new emotions his teammates were exuding.

Cisco straightened, eyes wide- mouth dry.

“You!”

(..)

Caitlin looked to Barry, needle breaking the thin skin of Bolt’s arm as she slowly slid the syringe beneath her skin and directly into the vein, “administering antidote. . .now.” Gently, her thumb pushed the syringe piston down, injecting the compound directly into Bolt’s bloodstream before gently withdrawing the needle.

The tiny wound instantly healed, the tiny droplet of blood seeped back into her skin and both geneticist and CSI looked to each other with hopeful eyes before looking back down to the young girl. Amethyst lightning crackled against her skin and the purple bolt illuminated, gathering energy within the tiny charm.

Bolt’s back arched, eyelids twitching as suddenly the charm burst with energy- lightning exploding out from the bolt- throwing Barry into the glass, shattering the windows with the force of her electric charge while Caitlin flipped back into the table, scattering beakers, vials and chemicals all over the floor.  

Caitlin grunted with the impact of her front hitting the floor, frost seeping through her fingers and she felt the familiar chill settle over her and saw that the glass embedded in her palm was slipping out of her skin and the gashes knitted over itself and smooth flesh remained as Killer Frost lent her regenerative ability to the woman whose body she shared. Barry groaned, slowly rising to his hands and knees, lifting his head to see Bolt upright, eyes open and instead of the baby blue that he was accustomed to seeing was replaced with a bright, unnatural purple- her mouth open in a silent roar.

The Flash witnessed as Bolt’s sallow, wrinkled skin slowly tightened and restoring to its youthful appearance, skeletal features thickening and filling out the haunting crevices of her face, her hair reclaiming its vibrant colour.

As quick as her body shot up from the mattress, Bolt’s eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back against the bed, her unique lightning ceasing its assault as she lay- hair splayed against the pillow, mouth open as gentle, strong breath passed through pink lips.

“Bolt!” Barry called, fighting the pain as he got to his shaky feet and stumbled his way back into the med bay and back to Bolt’s side, taking her warm hand.

Tired blue-green eyes opened to look straight at Barry, skin dewy with sweat as a lazy smile, “thank you. .” Bolt managed to murmur, her hand squeezing his softly.

Before he could utter a word, a choking sound from the opposite side of the bed caught his awareness, looking past Bolt- he witnessed Caitlin staring toward the entrance, a disbelieving yet knowing expression contorting her features.

Once again, he was brought back to Bolt who gasped- a bright, loving smile overtook her tired features, erasing any lethargy that might have taken her in the moment, “Mama!” Her voice was thick, trembling with emotion, eyes wide as they filled with glittering tears.

Barry whirled around to see Bolt’s team crammed into one room- one extraordinary member after another but there was only one that caught his full attention.

The woman in the front- with tight tan cargo pants that clung to her legs like a second skin stuffed into brown Doc Martins that looked like they were about to disintegrate if she took one more step in them, a tight once-white tank top that wrapped around her torso- rumpled and to cover her- a red-checkered shirt that was too big for her and all too familiar- slipping off her shoulder.

Barry’s entire facial structure changed as he looked deep into her E/C eyes that filled with relieved tears at the sight of the newly cured young speedster, “ _you!”_ Barry spat, rage seeping from every pore as yellow lightning crackled against his eyes.

Straightening up, E/C eyes flicked to the enraged speedster and she curled her arms around her stomach, hands shaking slightly but she kept her shoulders back, chin up- eyes connected with his.

“Hello, Barry,” you spoke, voice barely above a broken whisper but he heard you clearly as if you were right in his ear, “it’s been a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I tell you? 
> 
> Should I? ;)


	7. Mother of the Speedster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's the father?

“So, let me get this straight.” Ralph spoke- pacing the length of the cortex as he tried to wrap his head around the information given to him in that moment.

You were curled up with Bolt on the med bay bed, the young speedster cocooned in the blanket she had woven herself as you cradled her to your chest, arms tight around her body- intent on never letting her go while Howard looked over the tests, conferring with Caitlin on Bolt’s now perfect vitals as his suit stood over you and your daughter, operating on its own with Howard’s telepathic input.

“You guys are the Avengers? The honest-to-God Avengers?” Cisco finished Ralph’s train of thought.

“I’m Pietra Maximoff, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Pietra spoke up, pointing to herself before extending her hand to the next member.

Cisco nearly squealed, bouncing on the balls of his feet- his wavy hair swaying with his movements, dark eyes twinkling.

Wiping the powder green wisps of hair from her face, she wrapped her cardigan tighter around her body before the tiny girl spoke up in a gentle voice, “I-I’m Arielle Banner. . .it’s lovely to meet all of you. . . despite the circumstances.”

“Ekaterina Romanoff,” steel grey eyes pierced through every member of Team Flash as her chin length ink-black hair framed her hardened yet delicate features, her grip tightening on the batons, thumbing the button for the electrical charge as a precaution.

“. . .it's a pleasure?” Ralph squeaked, equal parts terrified and aroused by the intimidating assassin and he didn't know which emotion to act on.

“Katya,” The reincarnated American Flag sighed, sea-blue eyes flickering tiredly to his subordinate, “dial it back." His tone oozed exhaustion yet complete and utter control of the situation- he'd obviously dealt with this many times.

Katya instantly ceased her threatening pose, thumbs ceasing their caress against the button on her batons and she straightened, facial features smoothing out into a contrite expression, “sorry, Jimmy.”

The leader of the team sighed, face pinching in exasperation for a moment before he turned to the strangers who strived to cure Bolt- and succeeded. “I’m James Rogers. As the Avengers team, we’d like to formally extend our thanks to you- Team Flash for saving a member of our organisation but as Bolt’s family, we can’t thank you enough for saving our Speedy Gonzales- we’d be devastated if anything happened to her.”

“Speedy Gonzales- that’s cute.” Joe chuckled at the nickname they had for Bolt, they all seemed incredibly close.

“What are you all doing here? I don’t see the need for _all_ of the Avengers to be here.” Barry grounded out, barely clinging to the thin thread of his self-control at the sight of you in the cortex.

“Y/N was initially going to come alone but there was no way we were going to let her arrive without backup or support if you and your time weren’t forthcoming- not in her condition.” James explained.

Before Barry could question James’ statement, Cisco was back at it with more questions.

Normally, he’d find Cisco’s trepidation amusing but with his current mood. . . he couldn’t muster any positive feelings- only the overwhelming need to silence his friend for his own safety. Barry was too close to the breaking point to join in Cisco’s childlike musings as he once would- as he once did- but things were different now.

 _He_ was different now.

In a group, Howard, Caitlin, you and Bolt all entered the cortex, your arms firmly wrapped around Bolt who clung to you just as tightly and Barry, once again, bristled at the sight of you but wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead, he silently observed as the Avengers crowded around the two of you- all of their attention trained on Bolt, happy smiles gracing their different features at the sight of the young- now healthy speedster.

“You guys did a satisfactory job on constructing that necklace- I’m. . .almost impressed.” Howard stated to Cisco as he handed the Star Labs smart tablet to Arielle to look over before turning his head back to the med bay where his suit stood and he whistled the tune of the _Gilligan's Island_ while undoing the cufflink of his suit shirt before revealing the metal band made from the same materials as his mechanical suit, it looking almost exactly like a wristwatch.

Team Flash looked on as the sentient Iron Man suit responded immediately and slowly deconstructed in front of them, weaving around the obstacles and turns of the med bay- slowly reshaping itself into a small blue and silver medallion with the arc reactor illuminating brightly as Howard caught it mid-flight before attaching it to the empty slot around his wrist.

“Oh, my Force.” Cisco whispered as everyone in Team Flash _(even Barry)_ looked on in fascination of the ground-breaking tech that looked like it was something out of a _Transformers_ film.

“That isn’t like you. Praise from you is troublesome to earn, Howard.” You teased, a mischievous grin tugging at your lips. Howard rolled his chocolate brown eyes good-naturedly while refixing his cufflink once again as Bolt giggled against your throat before your E/C eyes turned to Cisco, “you should be proud, Cisco. You just earned kudos from a _Stark_. That isn’t any easy feat.”

Cisco’s eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at Howard, “y-y-you’re a S-Stark?!” He managed to spit out as Howard nodded, an air of arrogance seeping from the handsome billionaire.

“Howard Stark, Tony’s son.” He shook Cisco’s hands and you plus the other inhabitants of the room could almost see the sparkles in the clairvoyant metahuman’s eyes.

He was every bit the Stark he was purported to be.

Howard was a tall man, muscular but not to the extent of his other male team member- he was casually dressed- as casual as a man in what seemed to be a very expensive blue suit. He neglected the formality of a tie and kept the two first buttons undone as his suit jacket and pants perfectly outlined his body shape to a perfect _T._ He was classically handsome- tanned, unblemished skin, perfectly styled dark hair, stubble growing along the bottom half of his handsome face and deep brown eyes that could enthral anyone with just a look.

Howard took after his father for sure.

“This is Cisco Ramon, Ralph Dibny, Joe West, Harry Wells, Barry Allen and I’m Caitlin Snow- we didn’t get a chance to introduce ourselves before. It’s our pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark.” Caitlin held her hand out for him to take, a friendly smile curling her full lips as Howard turned his attention to Caitlin.

 Chocolate eyes turned molten as one dark brow lifted flirtatiously and he took her hand, lifting it to his lips, “the pleasure will be all yours, Dr. Snow. I’ll make sure of that.” With a lingering kiss to her knuckles, Howard winked slyly before stepping back as the Avengers groaned at his antics.

“Howard, step away from the good doctor before I scalp you.” Katya threatened.

“And before you do or say something stupid in front of Bolt and I’m forced to shove a pole up your ass.” You added, pointing a warning finger in his direction.

Howard instantly stepped back, clearing his throat as he rubbed the back of his head, taking extra caution to stand at your side, facing you completely before turning to the red-faced Caitlin, “I apologise, Dr. Snow- it was rude of me to flirt at such an inopportune time.” You nodded approvingly- until Howard continued with a wink, "maybe later, sweetheart." You smacked the back of his head, causing Bolt to snigger quietly whileCaitlin was barely able to blubber her appreciation to his admission before stepping back- one hand against her fluttering heart as she attempted to calm her breath and will the blood from her cheeks.

You sighed at Howard’s antics before turning attention to Barry who stood, walking in front of his teammates, glaring at you with burning hazel-green eyes, “you’ve got Bolt, you and your friends can go now.” His heart betrayed his cold exterior as he observed you.

You hadn’t aged a bit, you still looked as youthful as he remembered you, not a single grey lock of hair nor a hint of wrinkles marking your skin.

You were remained unchanged.

It just didn’t add up.

“Barry- I. .” You started before a look of uncertainty flashed across your features and you snapped your mouth shut, choosing to let your sentence trail off into nothing as you thought better of your words and let them die in your throat.

“What is it? What could you possibly have to say to me?” Barry snapped, his patience wearing thin at your hesitation and his hands clenched into fists- body tensing. His subtle changes in form alerted your teammates.

“Hey! Watch it, pretty boy- or you’ll be running on your hands. Don’t talk to Y/N like that.” Arielle snarled, attention shifting from the tablet to Barry- eyes flashing a deep fluorescent green as her entire facial structure morphed into one of pure rage as she clenched her hands around the tablet, the force of her grip threatening to break the piece of tech clean in half, causing Team Flash to take a severe step back.

“Calm down, Ari.” You were in front of Arielle instantly, forcing the older woman to look into your eyes before James was next to you, adding the same soothing tone to his voice.

“Banner, please calm down.”

“ _Banner’_? As in Bruce _Banner_?! You’re _Bruce Banner’s_ daughter!” Cisco nearly squealed before smacking Barry’s arm in warning, “do _not_ piss her off! If she has the same abilities as her father then I would exercise caution because I do _not_ want to be obliterated under _any_ circumstances.”

“I want answers and I’m going to get them.” Barry growled through clenched teeth.

“Listen, Sparky-” Howard started.

“It’s Barry.” Barry cut him off.

“Whatever.” The millionaire shrugged nonchalantly, “while you did save Bolt’s life, her condition isn’t that easy to control. We need a long-term solution and what you’ve provided is the stepping stone to saving her life. This is bigger than your animosity toward my teammate- this is about Bolt. Y/N, with the knowledge of what your reaction would be, still plucked up the courage to come here to save her daughter despite you being here.”

“Wait. . .did you say long-term solution? The plan we came up with is a lifetime guarantee.” Cisco objected, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Barry looked to his shoes, considering Howard’s wise words.

“Did you account for the cell fluctuations of her body and the regenerative factor in her blood?” Arielle spoke, voice shaky but calm nonetheless, channelling her anger into her work, into the passion she and her father shared: science, “did you properly calculate her speed and base your deliberations on the mutant cells that react to her abilities and the way her vitals respond when she reaches her maximum velocity?”

“. . .no.” Cisco hesitantly murmured as he exchanged diffident glances with the members of his team.

“Exactly.” Arielle berated, “we gave you our predictions of her wellbeing but you didn’t adhere to them, you only went off the schematics of her molecular code and the design of our own devices. You went off a basic template of a speedster from your own world, one who is vastly different from Bolt. You may have prolonged her life quicker than anticipated and yes, you did a fantastic job and invented a new possibly way to save Bolt from dying at the hands of her own mutation but it comes across as nothing but sloppy work when you ignore all the source material given while working under a deadline.” She dropped the tablet down heavily on the main console, the device clattering loudly- causing Cisco to cringe at the sound and the sight of his own tech being tossed around carelessly.

“That’s why we’re here. Along with bringing Bolt back home, we could use your advance in our technology to splice our own equipment along with the necklace you created and hopefully be able to cure Bolt completely of her sickness.” Howard added, “however, we’re missing a core ingredient.”

“What’s that?” Barry spoke up, fist against his lips as he leant against the front desk of the cortex, slim hip resting against the object.

“Her father’s DNA.” Caitlin spoke up as you, Bolt, Howard and Arielle nodded.

“That’s why I ended up here, I was looking for my Dad when I got stuck in this world. I tried to run a portal open but I couldn’t gather enough energy, so I tried to find my mum,” she gently took your hand, curling herself into your side and instantly, your arms automatically wound around her thin frame once again, “I was never meant to come to this world- it was purely by accident.” Bolt explained, eyes downcast as she sighed, “but I didn’t get a chance.”

You tightened your arms around her, a troubled expression overtaking the gentle one that curved your eyebrows.

“Actually, I don’t think it was.” Caitlin spoke up, nervousness radiating from every pore.

“What do you mean, Cait?” Barry questioned, looking toward the geneticist quizzically.

Caitlin turned to see Bolt’s confused face, a familiar expression she’d seen on a different face before she turned to you, communicating her intentions silently before you sighed heavily, knowing this day would come- you closed your eyes briefly to collect yourself, bracing for the next piece of information about to unfold.

Caitlin moved to the monitor on the far right-hand side that she had claimed as her own, pulling up a few tabs before displaying them on the large screen for all to see.

The feelings that Barry was enduring when he stared at the large monitor mounted to the wall. . .he would never be able to describe.

“What the. .” Bolt whispered, staring at the screen, her eyes glittering with unshed tears as the Avengers looked on, a knowing look flashed among them- no need for words.

The rest of Team Flash except for Caitlin were stunned into silence as Barry rose from his place, staring at the screen- at the flashing red marker for what seemed like years to him.

Stunned, he slowly turned back to you, the tears gathering had long since rolled their tracks down his cheeks and dripped from his chin to the concrete floor of the cortex as his eyes flicked to the girl in your arms. “W-what’s your name?” His voice trembled, barely above a whisper but it carried through the room with its sheer intensity.

Bolt stepped forward as your arms fell from her sides as you held in your sobs, your own tears blurring your vision as they streaked down your features and you sniffled and Katya took you in her arms- all eyes on the girl in question.

Drawing her chin up, shoulders back- she looked to Barry with glittering eyes and spoke with a clear, proud voice, “my name is Rebecca Nora Barnes-Allen.”

Rebecca Nora Barnes- _Allen._

Barry’s heart clenched as his eyes flicked to you, to Bo- no, to _Rebecca_ and then finally to the screen where all three DNA records made up Rebecca’s genetic code to a complete match.

Yours, Barry’s and Rebecca’s- clear as day.

Barry found that he couldn’t stop staring at her as she him, _now_ seeing the similarities between the two of you and between him.

Rebecca had his nose and the moles he could see now that he looked closer- she also had his mother’s beautiful hair, she had inherited his exuberance and your sass, his cockiness and your seriousness to the mission- she had also inherited his speed but your forwardness when it came to battle.

She was a perfect mixture of you and Barry and he couldn’t deny that she was vision.

“Barry. .” Your voice ripped him from his observations and he turned to you, your eyes red and puffy, tears running down your cheeks with no intention to stop, “Becca’s our daughter.”

The Scarlet Speedster choked as the words were finally said out loud, solidifying it into reality- tethering it to his heart as the words etched themselves into history and nothing would ever change it. His heart thumped against his rib-cage, legs weak and shaking and his stomach flipping. He felt like he'd been struck by lightning for a third time- except this impacted his life more than any other.

Rebecca slowly shuffled forward, reaching to take his hand and the familiar spark of electricity between two speedsters rejuvenated them both as a beacon-like smile illuminated her features, happy tears slipping down her cheeks and she giggled elatedly, “it’s nice to finally meet you. . .Daddy.”

Before Barry could even inhale to say something, _anything,_ a shrill screech interrupted him. “What. The. _HELL?!”_ Iris’ voice filled the cortex.

Completely shattering a what would-be moment between father and daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://newtie-patootie-bootie.tumblr.com/post/168569785198/the-cross-between-worlds-song-fic


	8. Under Construction

_Hey everyone._

 

_This story is now under construction and I'll be editing and redoing all the chapters and adding new things within and maybe new chapters to convey more of the story. I'm sorry but I'm not happy with how the story is going and where I'm taking it so I'm going to fix it._

 

_Be back soon, guys!_


End file.
